ISLAND CHAIN OFF CHINA

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27439, 27 August 1954, Page 11

ISLAND CHAIN OFF CHINA

Move To Extend U.S. Protection

(NJS. Press Association— Copyright) (Rec. 10 p.m.) WASHINGTON, August 25. High officials of the United States State and Defence Departments were conducting discussions to decide whether American protection of Formosa should be extended to a chain of islands lying close to the Communist Chinese mainland, the United Press reported today. Officials said the talks were prompted by repeated Communist threats to launch an invasion of Formosa, the island bastion of Marshal Chiang Kai-shek’s Chinese Nationalist forces.

United States military authorities were reported to see no sign of an imminent attack on Formosa itself. But they did foresee a possibility that the Communists might invade several smaller offshore islands held by the Nationalists.

The United States was committed to defend Formosa and the Pescadore Islands, lying about 40 miles off Formosa. The Question now was whether to extend this protection to other islands lying stHl closer to the mainland, the report said. This would stretch United States military commitments almost to the shores of Communist China. Administration officials said this extension of United States protection would naturally involve grave risks, the United Press reported. Loss of Prestige If captured by the Communists, the islands could become valuable as stepping stones to an attack on Formosa. Also, loss of the islands would be another blow to United States prestige in the Far East. In addition, the islands provided valuable listening posts for the Nation-

alists in their efforts to spy on Communist military activities. They also served as springboards for Nationalist raids on the mainland. Admiral Arthur Radford, chairman of the United States Joint Chiefs of Staff, had been reported to favour American protection of the offshore islands when he was Fleet Commander.